Commentary

Put This On has a great piece on when you shouldn’t go bespoke from the perspective of someone looking to have a suit made abroad (presumably someone living in the US). Jesse outlines several good points many of which accurately describe what goes on in third world countries. I’ve had my fair share of experiences working with different tailors in the Philippines and they are decent at best. My thoughts on buying off the rack vs going bespoke in a third world country after each point Jesse makes. Continue Reading

I came across this reaction to Joseph Abboud’s piece on the skinny suit. He writes:

On the other hand, if wearing a skinny suit is a conscious decision then let him wear the skinny suit. If he prefers to have his trousers cuffed above his ankles then so be it. That’s what floats his boat. Fashion gets a bad reputation for “outlandish” and “over-the-top” looks that deem designers unprofitable (even if they’re revered for their vision and craft.) We get critiqued and criticized for what we wear even if were photographed for GQ’s street style. Fashion is objective. There are no right or wrong answers, there are just outfits that are on par and then ways to make it look better. Placing a big, fat N-O on one’s sartorial decisions should be rule number one of “what not to do in fashion.” Feel free to throw shade, but nothing is gospel here. What is terrible today is a trend tomorrow.

First of all a skinny suit is different from other design elements like cuffing it above the ankles because the former actually restricts movement whereas the latter does not. I’m glad the author of this piece mentioned GQ because if you’ve been paying attention to their style editorial lately it’s overly slim; in other words they are skinny. Anything that is cut too close to the body will be hard to move in and that simply does not make any sense no matter what perspective you’re coming from. There is only one right answer: people should be able to move in their clothes, period.

On the topic of trends, Abboud went to town about the shrunken suit, use of several colors, and wearing kilts. His critique of the three is unfair. These are the menswear trends of today where all other trends fall under those umbrellas in some way, shape, form, or aesthetic. These three trends are why menswear is still the hottest growing segment of the fashion industry (well, that and the skinny suit). These are the things that men are sold on, and feel okay about wearing after years of convincing. Abboud’s opinions on the matter set men back. This way of thinking is why men never took an interest in their appearance out of fear of being called a sissy, girly, or just vain. On one hand, caring about your appearance is important, but on the other hand you only have to look a certain way or else you’ll look stupid. How can that mindset motivate a man to upgrading his style?

We must remember that trends are manufactured because designers and brands need to sell their wares. It’s up to us to choose what fits the aesthetic we are looking for and the lifestyle we have. It’s perfectly all right to embrace color yet shun the skinny suit. You don’t have to adopt a trend if it doesn’t make sense to you.

Let’s face it: no one wants to look stupid. I am personally motivated to upgrade my style because I don’t want to look stupid. Looking a certain way is enough motivation for me to upgrade my style. And I’d like to believe the same goes for many men out there.

Men should not be chastised for being confident enough to make daring style choices. The men’s fashion segment is growing, and it’s growing because the same old, tired, menswear of yesteryear is gone. Today there is progress, something new and fresh, something to look forward to, and men are enjoying themselves. Men are finally having fun playing dress up. Don’t spoil it for us. Abboud joked about how he should not be able to read an American Express card number through one’s trousers. Coincidentally, the same man he’ll sneer at for his fit will get photographed and praised by The Sartorialist. To each his own I guess.

For the last couple of years all the tailored trousers I’ve been wearing were flat front because that was the trend. But recently I’ve added single pleats to them because they’re much more comfortable when walking, sitting and standing. I’m done with the phase of “having fun playing dress up” and following trends. The menswear of yester-yesteryear never left and I’m glad that guys like Joseph Abboud have shun the skinny suit. Trends will always come and go but there’s a reason why the classics never go out of style: they simply made more sense.

Jian DeLeon wrote a piece titled “Addressing #Menswear’s Existential Crisis” and after reading it a few times I’d like to share my thoughts on the matter.

#Menswear blogging is dying. It’s being crushed underneath the weight of its own ego and is selling out. It is throwing its double monks out the window and buying Jordans. It is trading an unstructured Boglioli sportcoat for a Rick Owens shawl. It is removing thoughtful commentary on how dudes dress themselves and replacing it with clickbait-y lists meant to drive traffic and make sure we can continue getting the $40 haircuts at Blind Barber that we get for free.

I don’t think #menswear blogging is dying in the sense of the word. But Jian is absolutely right that many are selling out. That’s because the guys who were the pioneers were recruited to sell someone else’s agenda. I understand that these guys need to make a living but it didn’t have to mean selling out. I always strive to strike a balance with those who want to work with me and make sure I don’t sell out. If I don’t think the brand speaks to me I decline the offer.

One way is to help define his lifestyle. You’ve already told him what clothes he wears, so now what food does he eat? Where does he stay when he travels? What kind of alcohol does he drink? More importantly, you tell him what duds were cool a week ago and what duds are cool now? He is tired of Flyknits. He is over Patrik Ervell. So, like A$AP Rocky says, clothes get weirder. And more obscure. Maybe he’s feeling Blue Blue Japan. Maybe he’s down to rock a poncho. You keep pushing the clothing envelope, chasing that “new new” and the admittedly insufferable desire to be up on something before everyone else.

I’ve always believed that one’s lifestyle defines one’s style. If you work in a corporate environment then you dress for that particular environment. If you commute a lot then you choose bags and footwear in a certain way. You don’t build a wardrobe around tees and shorts because you’ll only wear them during the weekend.

It’s also important to remember that the guys pushing the envelope are being paid to do so. Sure it looks great but we should look at our lifestyle and see if a certain style is applicable to ourselves. Otherwise it just doesn’t make sense. I can appreciate streetwear but I’m simply not that kind of guy. I’ve been holding out on buying a pair of New Balance because wearing them only once a week doesn’t sound like a good buy.

But do you know what #Menswear blogging needs most? More voice, less reblogs. Look at what’s out there and don’t be afraid to say, “Fuck that noise, I know what’s cool!” Be inspired to do your own thing. Above all: Work on a craft, don’t just gun for a job. Having been fortunate enough to write about menswear for about five years, I didn’t actually start getting paid for it until year three. If you’re trying to be a writer, then for the love of god, read. Read. Read. Read. Read until you come across something that least inspires enough feeling in you, good or bad, to write a response, instead of simply rehashing.

I agree with having more voice and less reblogs. Tumblr has become boring with people reblogging the same stuff over and over again. I don’t even post much on my own Tumblr these days. I’ve since moved to my own blog so I can write and get out of the vicious cycle of continuously reblogging the best photos I saw.

I can also relate to Jian’s situation wherein he got paid starting year three. I only started taking writing gigs last year when my blog was about two and a half years old. And I continuously read not just blogs but also magazines and books. Menswear exists not only on the web and these publications can offer something different instead of the same photos you see on your Tumblr dashboard.

The audience of #menswear isn’t the same three or four years ago. The men that bought into the idea that clothes made the man are now older, are probably earning more and most likely more sophisticated in taste. I know this for a fact because I’ve noticed it in myself. I choose which ideas and items to buy into and which ones to ignore. Personal style is a journey that involves filtering the noise and choosing what matters. And that’s what I’m doing with this blog.

A lot has been said about building a wardrobe on a budget with the latest being this one at Put This On with other bloggers who have given their two cents. I feel I need to write about this to share what I’ve learned as I build my wardrobe.

Buying Fast Fashion

Fast fashion brands are cheap (when compared to most other brands) and are usually the places you’d go to when starting to build a wardrobe. I’ve bought a few shirts from Zara but the quality isn’t that good and most of the time are too fancy. It’s hard to build a timeless wardrobe with items from fast fashion brands so don’t buy too much, choose carefully and make sure they count.

Buying Sale or Thrift

I’ve often justified purchasing items because they look like a very good deal and even with some problems I can always correct them by having them altered. I usually end up getting burned by the amount of tailoring work that needs to be done. Think of the overall cost you’ll be spending and maybe reconsider your purchase.

Tailored Clothing

Tailored clothing is typically not included in most discussions on building a wardrobe on a budget because it is quite expensive abroad. In the Philippines the cost is lower so it makes sense to take advantage of the inexpensive tailoring services here. I have written a lot to make tailoring more accessible but one of the disadvantages is that it takes a lot of time and money to get things right. Even with the number of items I’ve had made my tailors still can’t quite reach the level of quality I am looking for. I have not completely given up on local tailors as I have not tried others that charge more but I feel I’m close to throwing in the towel.

I attended a wedding over the weekend and I couldn’t help but notice the many mistakes Filipino gentlemen made with regards to how they dress themselves for a formal event.

1. Wearing pinstripe suits. They are meant to be worn when conducting business.

2. Button down collars. They are the least formal of shirt collars.

3. Overly designed and fancy suit jackets. They should be worn as evening wear.

4. Shirt collars don’t touch jacket lapels. It just looks wrong when this doesn’t happen.

5. Suit jackets too short. They should cover the buttocks. Men who do this look like a boy or a man who outgrew his suit. And only blazers are allowed to be short.

6. Boutonniere should be put through the suit jacket’s buttonhole and not pinned to it. This is the most elegant way to wear a flower on your chest.

7. Shirt collars not peeking out of the suit jacket. The suit jacket was not well made or the wearer did not test the shirt(s) he intended to wear it with.

8. Shirt cuffs not peeking out of jacket sleeves. The shirt sleeves are too short.

9. Suit jacket buttons should be fastened when standing and unfastened when sitting. Only applies to single breasted suit jackets.

10. Loud ties. I saw someone sport a bright orange tie that night. It doesn’t look good at all.

11. Wearing dark shirts. Dark shirts are for the club not a wedding.

12. Fastening all buttons. When wearing a two-button suit, you only fastern the first button. When wearing a three-button suit you only fasten the first two buttons or the middle button.

In the Philippines, men rarely wear very formal dress such as a dinner jacket/tuxedo. For a late afternoon wedding with a reception that goes late into the night, I suggest wearing a dark suit in navy blue or charcoal gray, a white shirt and a dark tie with stripes or dots. Skip the light gray or gray suit as they’re meant be worn during the day. Keep the ensemble simple & classic.